A New Friendship
by LPlover93
Summary: Friendships can happen in the strangest places. Sometimes they include libraries. An anniversary gift for my babe, CrazySue05. Non-magic!Dramione.


Usually whenever you see an update or an one-shot on this profile, it is followed by a thank you to my darling wifey, who is also my beta. Today is our one year anniversary of labelling ourselves as together. I love you babe, and you are the best beta one can ever have!

You can find the banner link on my profile, made by the lovely little-angry-kitten.

A brilliant thank you to Nicia, who edited this story for me, since I obviously couldn't give it to my normal one.

Disclaimer : I do not own Harry Potter and/or any of its characters who are so cute and hot.

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"Can we go? Can we go? Can we go? Can we go? Can we go?"

Hermione was very excited. The bookshop was one of her favourite spots. 'Normal' girls her age loved to either play with Barbie dolls or do the complete opposite and defiantly play football with the boys. However, she was one of the few eight year olds who loved to read. If not for the fact that her mom and dad hated to read, she would say that it was in her genes to love it. She just was happy with the fact that at the weekends they allowed her to go to the bookstore and read for as long as she wanted.

Her mom entered the hallway as Hermione practically bounced on the spot with impatience and unbuttoned the top of her coat. "It's not that cold out, darling, don't worry. You won't catch a cold if you leave your coat at home for once."

Hermione buttoned it up again with a small sigh. (This was a discussion they often had.), "Mum, they turn the air conditioning on full speed in the bookshop. So, the coat _is_ necessary."

Her father chuckled from the doorway and jangled the car keys in Hermione's direction. "Ready when you are."

As they drove to the bookstore, she pretty much squealed with excitement at every point her voice could manage, showing her enthusiasm for the new books that would have come in over the last two weeks, since her last visit.

They went into the bookshop where the owner smiled at Hermione and gave her a biscuit. The bookshop was a marginally large one, but the owner and Hermione's Mum were best friends in high school. (She had learnt not to give her a lollipop after various speeches from her parents about dental hygiene and how it was not possible for Hermione to brush out the remnants of the candy when she was reading books in a public area). She went through the normal rules with Dan and Emma, telling them to be back in four hours at the latest, since they were closing early that day. They kissed their precocious daughter and left, this being their usual routine every second Saturday of the month.

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As she finished reading the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Hermione decided that she loved Peter. Well, she had had a slight crush on Edmund, but then he turned out to be a brat who almost gave up his family to be well-known. She realized later that not many kids were as mature as she was, but she wanted someone like Peter. He was the big brother who could take care of his three siblings while being a kid himself.

She sat in her favourite corner of the bookstore, (one which was cozy and hidden from sight yet allowed her to see the entrance clearly), where Mr. Phillips had placed a cushion especially for her to sit on. She called it "Hermione's Nook" because her mom once teased her saying that she could hide in any nook or corner as long as she had a book with her.

Hermione curled up with the second book in her hands and third book by her side, and started reading. She was soon absorbed in the adventures of the Pevensie children, blind to the world around her until the jingling of the welcome bell as people entered the shop startled her out of the imaginary world.

The first thing she could see was that there were two of them, a boy and a man. The man had long, silky straight hair, the way she'd always wished for her hair to be, however, she wouldn't trade it as his hair looked almost white and she wasn't old enough for her hair to turn white. The boy, on the other hand, had a slightly mischievous smirk, but was trying to hide it. She could see the smile trying to escape from behind the stoic expression on his face. She curiously noticed that both the father, she presumed their relation, and son were acting the same way. She watched them more closely, noticing that the boy was actually imitating what his father did, from the condescending (she'd learnt that word a year ago) sneer he'd adopted after entering, to the hands behind his back, which looked regal on the father, but just naughty for the boy.

As she continued the task of deciphering the boy's personality through the way he looked, she didn't realise that she had stopped reading the book she oh so loved. Just then, the boy glanced down the aisle, his gaze landing on her, and smirked. He whispered to his father, who also looked at her and then gave a quick nod. As the blonde boy started walking towards her, she could hear the assistant answer, "Mister, go get your work done. I'll take care that your boy doesn't break anything till you get back." He gave a wide smile to the slight anger that tinged the regal man's face and got onto the moving ladder with a feather duster to dust the bindings of the books not yet bought.

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Draco was very, _very_ excited. He never got to be on his own, anywhere at all. If his father wasn't there, he would have spun round and round, shouting "Wheee!" However, his father was there, and he remembered the rule Father had made him learn by rote when he was six, "Malfoys show decorum whether outside or inside the house." He didn't know what decorum meant, but he knew his father showed it. So he tried his best to do whatever his father did when they were out. He didn't like some habits of his father though. Like when he said bad things to shopkeepers who were poorer than they were. Actually, most people were poorer than them, but Mother had taught him not to think of money while comparing people, but their personalities. He couldn't tell Father that and so kept quiet, almost hiding his personality of a bubbly little eight-year old kid.

Which is why he was so, so happy when "the great Lucius Malfoy" told him that he would be leaving him at the bookstore as he had to do some "adult work". Draco usually got mad because he knew that his father was having coffee with other ladies instead of Mother but this time, he was too excited to care.

As he stood behind his father, trying to stand tall, he saw a girl with pigtails watching them from a corner. The cushion she was sat on looked comfortable, though he'd bet it wasn't filled with goose down like the pillows on his bed. He said goodbye to his father and barely waited for his response before he'd left his side and headed towards her. A smirk painted his lips as he held his hand out like his father had taught him to, "My name is Draco. Draco Malfoy."

The girl smirked in response, "My name is Bond. James Bond."

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She just couldn't resist. Watching Bond movies all day long was a tradition she and her dad had started last month and his introduction was far too similar to the way Bond did it. He looked confused which made her giggle, "My name is Hermione. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Draco just decided to roll with the punches and asked her, "What are the good books around here?"

It was like he had opened Pandora's box as Hermione suddenly came to life and said, "Follow me. I know a place." She ran to the back and pushed a bookshelf aside, and to his amazement it opened into a small room filled with books.

Draco saw the dust on them, and his father equated dust with old, which meant useless. He knew some things were precious, but he was a Malfoy. So he pasted on the most insulting smirk possible as he said, "These books look like they should be thrown in a garbage bin."

Hermione was obviously insulted on the books' behalf as she outrageously shrieked, "That's not fair! I thought you weren't a bad boy like your dad!"

Draco immediately had the urge to hug her, and he had no idea why. However, he did realize three things: Firstly, he wanted to be friends with this girl. Secondly, she loved reading books and thirdly, she did _not_ like his father.

So**,** Draco immediately blushed as he tried to apologise for the first time ever. "I'm extremely sorry! It's just, Father told me I must be regal and look at everyone in a bad way and be rude. I'm just learning how to do it and I don't want to do it. But I love my father and I respect him and I want him to know how much. The only way I can is by doing whatever he's doing."

Hermione felt bad as all her thoughts about the boy were actually correct. She told him, "I don't know your father well, but I know this. You get more in life with politeness than by rudeness."

Draco was shocked. He never thought someone would believe what he said unless it was about how great his father was. A small, genuine smile pulled at his lips as he asked her, "Can we best friends? All the friends I have are my father's colleagues' children and they are brought up the same way as I am."

Hermione took his hand and pushed him to where she knew a first edition of a book she loved was there. Thus, was the start of a beautiful friendship.

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Hope you liked my little present, girl. Let me know how it was.

And others, feel free to air your views as well in that review box just below.


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